Berry basket



NOV. l2, 1929. G. MncDaNALp 1,735,173

3mm' mslm* Filed latch. 24. 1:92a

'//lIIll/l/l/l lll/ll. 2 Q.. Z L a n; ENT?? gauw I BY Z l ATTORNEYJ.

Patented Nov. 12, 1929 PATENT foi-FICE M GBAEME MACDONALD, or sANrnANcIsco, cALrronNrA l BERRY BASKET Application med March 24, 192s. serial No. 264,311.

My invention relates, generally, to berrybaskets made of veneer slices, as they are termed in the art, and, in particular, to onepiece baskets.

The objects of my invention are, briefl stated, first to insure their proper shape when filled, in order to adapt them for safe nesting in transportation, and, second to insure them against spreadingfunder the weight of the load when lifted.

To these ends my invention consists essentially in an improved staple, termed in the i art a stitch, and in the manner of its application, all of which together with the details of the advantageous results desired and secured, I shall herein fully disclose, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- F ig. l is a plan of the blank or veneer slice y from which my one-piece basket is made. i

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of my improved one-piece berry-basket.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing V the beneficial eli'ect of my improved basket (Fig. 2) in nesting for transportation when filled.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, enlarged, of one of the ends of my basket, showing the improved stitch and the positive, tight clinching of its extremities.

A, in Fig. l, designates the blank, which to the trade is known as a veneer-slice and from which my one piece berry basket is made. It is slit on the full lines w-- and is creased for folding on the dotted lines g/-/y. The middle portion of the blank forms the bottom 1 and the inner end members 1a of the formed basket, while the side portions from the sides 2 of the basket and the flaps 2a which overlie the end members la of the middle portion.

The end member lfand the flaps 2 yare secured together by a staple, which to the trade is known as a stitch. It is a piece of wire 4 which exteriorly crosses the overlapping flaps 2a, pentrates them and the end members l, and its ends are bent down upon the inner surface of the members 1'* at 4,

i basket in common use made from the blank of Fig. l has non-bulging ends; thatL is said ends are substantially iiat planes at right angles with the sides. If, in use, this 1 relation of the ends to the sides could be pre- 1 served there could be no objectionfto the container. 'But the veneer slice or blank A is relatively frail and yielding, and the stitch' is usually oflight wire and not pressed in withy maximum security; wherefore when filled with berries, theends of the basketf bulge outwardly under` the pressure of the load, and when packed for transportation end to end they do not, fit or nest closely enough to maintain their proper position, but are unstable and ride up againsteach other and thus prevent or destroy their packed relation.

, My first improvement will now be clearly understood, reference being made to Fig. 2. It lies in the intentional initial inward arching or curving of the ends of the basket, due to the inward arching or bendin of the stitch 4. This stitch is made of relatively heavier wire and is appreciably longer than the stitch commonly used. In applying it, the stitch is pressed in with sucient force to bend it inwardly and thus to normally arch inwardl the ends of the basket, Figs. 2 and 4, to suc a degree and with such pressure that, subsequently, under the weight of the load, the ends will be forced outwardly to a flat plane, and will thus lie and remain close together in transportation, as I have shown in Flg. 3.

My second improvement may be explained as follows. It is not the practise in applying the relatively light stitch of the common basket to press it with such force as to cause its bent ends to clinch the members 1'* and flaps 2a so tightly as to prevent their relative movement. It sometimes happens that the creasing folds between the sides 2 and the bottom l, are weak enough to open into slits, and then when the basket is lifted, the weight of the load will cause the central portion and the side portions' to separate y turning pivotally about the ends of the stitch,y and thus opening the slits wide enough to'injure or spillthe berries. To guard against this contingency, it has been the practise in some cases to put in additional stitches in each end,

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but this adds to the cost in labor and material.

By my improvement I secure the desired result by pressing in the stitch 4 with such force that its bent ends 4a will tightly clinch the parts together, and thus prevent any pivotal relative action between said parts. This I have ShQWn in Fig. 4,.-

l. A berry-basket comprising a blank, the

central portion of whichrforms the bottom and ends of the basket, and the side portions form the sides and overlying flaps of the ends; and a clinching staple penetrating said flaps and ends and having its body inwardly arched to arch the basket ends normally in- Wardvf A berryvbasket comprising'a blank, the central portion of which forms tliebottom and ends of the basket, and the sideportions form the sides and overlying flaps of the ends; and

a clinching staple penetrating said aps and 1 ends and having its body inwardly arched to arch thebasket ends normally inwardly and its extremities tightly clinched to prevent pivotal relative movement between said ends and. flaps- Y 1n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication. Y

` GRAEME VMA@DONALD 

